• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, May 4, 2012

Facebook has revealed the target price per share for its initial public offering, in the range of $28-$35 per share, which would give the company a value of $96 billion. The lead underwriters are Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs, with additional participants including Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Allen & Co., Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse Group AG and Deutsche Bank. While only a relatively small portion of shares are actually going up for sale -- totaling perhaps $13.6 billion -- the IPO will gauge whether the market agrees with the overall valuation.

Given the huge buzz, qualifying as its own discourse, about the importance of Facebook and social media in general, a favorable response to the IPO seems likely. Still, a reasonable person has to wonder if Facebook is really worth a pile of money which, if counted out in $100 bills, would weigh 1,056 tons and occupy a volume of 1,085 cubic meters.

One way to approach the question is to compare Facebook, with 2011 revenues of $3.7 billion and profit of $1 billion, to some other big companies with valuations in a comparable range. On that note, I will put the question to people who are probably more business-savvy than myself. So do you, gentle reader, think Facebook is worth more than...

ConocoPhilips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, with a market capitalization of $69.44 billion, 2011 revenues of $251.2 billion, and profit of $12.4 billion?

Ford, the country’s second-largest carmaker, with a market capitalization of $42.2 billion, 2011 revenues of $128.2 billion, and profit of $8.8 billion?

General Motors, the world’s largest carmaker, with a market capitalization of $35 billion, 2011 revenues of $150.3 billion, and profit of $7.6 billion?

Hewlett-Packard, computer and technology company, with a market capitalization of $48.4 billion, 2011 revenues of $127.2 billion, and profit of $9.7 billion?

Citigroup, the country’s third-largest bank, with a market capitalization of $95.2 billion, 2011 revenues of $78.4 billion, and profit of $11.3 billion?

Boeing, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, with a market capitalization of $57.8 billion, 2011 revenues of $68.7 billion, and profit of $4 billion?

Archer Daniels Midland, the agribusiness behemoth, with a market capitalization of $21.8 billion, 2011 revenues of $81 billion, and profit of $2 billion?

Dow Chemical, the world’s second-largest chemical manufacturer, with a market capitalization of $38.8 billion, 2011 revenues of $60 billion, and profit of $7.8 billion?

Kraft, the food titan, with a market capitalization of $69.9 billion, 2011 revenues of $54.4 billion, and profit of $4.5 billion?